Treading Ancient Paths

Aura Soma Lava's Labyrinth

"Going around in circles" means getting nowhere - wasting time, big time - or does it? Think again, if those circular paths are within a labyrinth. These ancient courses are making a comeback as modern-day tools to calm the mind, relax the body and reduce stress. They're cropping up in parks and parking lots, in public spaces and on private properties. To discover their enduring appeal, all you have to do is walk within the lines.

Most people think of a labyrinth as a maze from which there is seemingly no escape. But the type of labyrinth we're talking about is two-dimensional (not walls to obstruct vision) and unicursal, which means it has a single, yet winding path that leads to a central point. Follow the route and you get to the center: no directions, no decisions and not getting lost. Turn around and walk the same winding path out again. A labyrinth simply requires you to persist in your journey.

Labyrinths come in varied shapes and can be as simple as a sand drawing or as elaborate as an inlaid tile floor. The classic and simple seven-circuit labyrinth has been in existence for than 4,000 years. It's been part of cultures as diverse as American Hopi Indian, Scandinavian and Indian. Spliner, Maggie. Prevention, Sept 1997